This invention is applicable to bi-fuel and dual-fuel internal combustion engines that utilize gaseous and liquid fuels either simultaneously or individually. It is aimed at dealing with the limited response characteristics of high pressure solenoid type gaseous fuel injectors when activated by present 12 volt petrol (gasoline) engine control units (ECU's,) where the injectors are synchronized to the speed, or RPM of the engine. To compensate for the larger volumes of gaseous fuel required to deliver the equivalent energy of gasoline, gaseous (gas) injectors operate under higher pressures, with larger, heavier moving valve components as compared to petrol type injectors. This can result in minimum open/close cycle periods twice as long as those of their petrol counterparts. At low speed idle power with a static, high fuel rail pressure necessary for maximum power, the gas injector can fail to fully open in response to short ECU commanded voltage pulse widths. Minimum open cycle periods for solenoid gas injectors are typically around 4 milliseconds. At idle with a static gas fuel rail pressure that can meet the engines full operating power range, the ECU may command an injector open pulse width far less than 4 milliseconds. The injector may thus fail to respond fast enough to these short open signals, resulting in inconsistent fuel delivery, roughness and excessive emissions.
Where fuel injectors are typically synchronized by the ECU to cycle with engine RPM, low engine speeds allow more time for the injector to more accurately meter fuel. By lowering fuel supply pressure at idle speeds the injector can remain open longer, allowing more accurate response to the ECU. However when fuel demand increases with speed and the available injector cycle time decreases, a variably higher pressure fuel rail supply then becomes necessary to avoid fuel starvation.